Kane certain that Tottenham’s home-grown players are able

It is rare for the strongest English clubs to place faith in home-grown players but Harry Kane believes Tottenham can force their way to the top if they trust their own crop.

After years of patience, Kane, who joined Tottenham at 10, has started the last two Premier League matches, against Sunderland and West Brom, scoring in both.

The 20-year-old forward, who models his game on that of Teddy Sheringham, is confident he and his fellow young aspirants can repay big-spending Tottenham if they are given a proper opportunity.

Kane is not the only one to show promise. Andros Townsend, 22, did well enough in the early weeks of the campaign to force his way into the senior England team and could still go to the World Cup.

French-Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, 19, has played regularly under Tim Sherwood after joining the club’s academy two years ago, while 21-year-old Tom Carroll and Jake Livermore, 24, have impressed during loan spells at Queens Park Rangers and Hull respectively.

Asked whether these players could form the backbone of the Spurs first team, Kane said: “I think so. We have a great crop of youngsters coming through at the minute and it’s good that we’re being used.

“It’s important for English football and club football to be getting a chance at the top level and I feel every time we’ve had a chance, we’ve done well.

“The fans like big signings and new players coming in but there are home-grown players who have been there for years who wear the shirt with pride and want to prove themselves. It’s good competition.

“We have the potential and it’s good that we’ve had the opportunity at such a young age. We’ve all got the ability to push on and make a statement in this team.

“Each of us knows how the others play because many of us have played together for a long time. We know each other’s movements and it’s important to have that in a team, to know people’s game inside out.

“I’ve played for England at all levels below the senior squad and that is the next step for me. Roy Hodgson watches most of the games in the Premier League and when Andros was playing well, he chose him and Andros helped England qualify for the World Cup. I want to break into that squad eventually.”

Kane praised the influence Sherwood has had on his career. The current head coach was working with the development squad before succeeding Andre Villas-Boas and he is now giving Kane the chances he has always craved.

Next Spurs manager - the contenders

Next Spurs manager - the contenders

1/7
LOUIS VAN GAAL

The Holland coach will leave after the World Cup. He wants to work in the Premier League and held talks with Daniel Levy after Andre Villas-Boas was sacked. Hugely experienced, he has managed Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

2/7
MAURICIO POCHETTINO

Has impressed with his work at Southampton and also fits Levy’s ideal profile: the Argentine is a coach, rather than a manager, who is happy to work with the team and allow those above him to deal with contracts and transfers.

3/7
FRANK DE BOER

The Ajax manager revealed earlier this year that he, too, had received contact from Spurs after Villas-Boas was sacked. De Boer is believed to have been recommended by technical director Franco Baldini, now in a vulnerable position.

4/7
MICHAEL LAUDRUP

Another championed by Baldini, the Dane had an excellent first season at Swansea but departed during his second campaign in Wales. Attractive because he is a free agent but is considered an outsider nonetheless.

5/7
ROBERTO MANCINI

Won the Premier League title with Manchester City in 2012 and is apparently keen to leave Turkey’s Galatasaray but may favour a return to Inter Milan. His fellow Italian, Luciano Spalletti, is also highly regarded and available.

6/7
LAURENT BLANC

Levy has looked at the Frenchman before and, should Paris Saint Germain decide a change is needed this summer, Blanc could be in the frame for Spurs

GETTY

7/7
RAFAEL BENITEZ

The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager is enjoying life at Napoli but has made no secret his desire to manage in England again

There have been loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester but never did Kane’s belief waver that he would break through at White Hart Lane. The identity of Sherwood’s successor this summer is not yet known but Kane now feels he is ready for the Premier League. A few tips from Sheringham, whom Kane met recently for the first time, will not have done him any harm, either.

“I feel I’m good enough to be here and good enough to play for Spurs in the Premier League. Hope I’ve shown that in the last two games and I’m looking forward to the next ones,” Kane said. “As I was growing up, I’d watch Sheringham a lot and tried to base the way I played on what he did.

“His movement was second to none and he could finish with his head and both feet. It was great to meet him at a charity golf event recently. We talked about football, my game and my loan spell at Millwall, one of his former clubs. He is a great player to try to emulate.”

Many are the footballers who, once training is done, will switch their attentions away from the game until they return the following day. This attitude used to infuriate Harry Redknapp, who would often talk about the previous night’s Champions League game, only to find that a number of his players had not bothered to tune in.

The former Tottenham manager would no doubt be relieved to hear about Kane’s approach. Before the 3-3 draw at West Brom, he studied the Baggies’ centre-backs, and his work was rewarded with the second goal.

“Whenever the football is on I’m always watching it,” he added. “I watch the strikers to see what they’re doing and how they’re playing. It definitely helps.

“You watch little things and if it’s a team you’re playing in the near future, you keep an eye on the defenders, see what little faults they’ve got that you might be able to exploit.

“These experiences, and my loan spells, have helped me push on in my career. When you’re playing senior football in the lower leagues, you need to be mentally strong and to cope if things don’t work out for you. It’s important to stay grounded, not be carried away with the scene around football and just concentrate on what happens on the pitch.”

Harry Kane was speaking at a Tottenham Hotspur Foundation event to support their Football and Education Development Centres. These create opportunities for young people aged 16-18 to realise their potential, not only in the classroom but also on the pitch, whether they are looking to develop as a player or seek a career in the sports industry. For more information click here